Sifter and mixer device



June 27,. 1939. 1 .1. SPENCER SIFTER AND MIXER DEVICE 2v Sheets-Sheet l Filed Sept. 7, 1935 F2550 l/o im E ,M

Vl E E .m m5. m VJ .A mw Y B June 27, 1939. L.. .1. SPENCER SIFTER AND MIXER DEVICE Filed Sept. 7, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .z E m. ipv mf mN mm L L ATTORNEY Patented June 27, 1939 F AT Evi-1N T' O'FF'I'C E' SIFTER AND MIXER lDEVICE.

Lillian J. Spencer, San Rafael, Calif,

Application. September 2 Claims,

This inventionV relates A,to a'sifter box, 'Ihe primary object of the invention is to pro- Vide a convenient sifter, for-flourand :the like,

arranged in a/box so as tocontain all the ele- 5x1nents necessary for.the-.mixing kof the dry ingredients of pastry,- cakes, and'the like, in a unitary fixture.-

Another object-of the invention is to provide a unitary xturewhichgcontains-a multiple sifter Aand all the accessoriesnecessary for mixing the dry ingredients forfpastry, cakes, and the like,

and which is adaptedvtoy be kept on the usuall kitchen shelf, and is alsoadapted to contain our at all times ready for mixing,

a multiple sifter for the dryingredients of pastry or the like, in which'saiddry-ingredients can be sifted selectively throughL one or-more screens in one operation;

A further-,object of the invention is to provide a measuring cup` having a convenient `sifter which forms a part of said cup.

Another object of this invention is to provide a household utensil and particularly amixing and lsiftingdevice Ywhich ishighlyfuseful and Ysimple in construction. Convenience` of` arrangement, lightnessfand Comparativexinexpensef of manufacture arefurther objects which havebeenborne in mindfin theproduction anddeveloprnent of the invention I am aware that some changes may bemade in theV general arrangements andjcombinations of the several devices andpartswa's well as in the details ofthe construction thereof without defparting from the scope ofthe present invention as set forth in the following specification, and as defined in the following claims; hence I donot limit my'invention to the exact arrangements and combinations of thev said device and parts as de- 40 scribed in the said specication, nor doI confine myself to the exact details of the construction Another object ofthe invention is to provide .7, 1935, SerialNo. 39,519

Figure 2 `is a perspective view, partly in section, of the multiple sifter in my device.

Figure 3 is a sectionalfview4 of the multiple sifteix Figure 4 is a fragm'entaLsectional View showing the fastening means for the removable screen sections of my sifter;v

Figure 5 is a-fragmental, perspective view of a measuringcupconstructed in accordance withmy invention, the various layers,` of the bottom of said cup being, shown broken away so as to show the sifter belowthe movable bottom of the cup.

Figure 6 isa fragment'alysectional detail view showing the fastening of the bottom elements of 'the measuring cup;

In carrying out my invention Imake use in generalv of a box 'l in-which is located a hopper 8 open at lits top. Onthebottom of the hopper 8 is a multiple sifter 9 belowywhich is a receptacle such as a measuring cup il.r It is tok be understood that any receptacle or vessel such as a bowl may beiplaced below th`e` sifter 9 to receive the siffted` dry ingredientstherein. Apermanent recipe plate l2 is slidably concealed vin a rear double Wallolof thebox 'F. vA-cover I4 is hinged at'lto the top of :the'rear wall i301 Ithe box i:

In detail the box-v'lzfhasside walls Il and a preferably hinged door ifi-in. thefront. On the bottom of the box is placed a removable tray i9. It is also to be noted that the door i8 of said box 'i 'can besecured` in placeby a suitable latch such as the type indicated :at 2l. VOn the inside face of thedooriare provided a plurality of prongs or hooks 22`v for holding accessories Asuch as small measuring spoons: 23 hung thereon,

The upper ledge of the hopper 8 coincides with the topv edges ofthe box l.' The hopper 8 has downwardly converging sides .which Vmay be either of `curved or straight cross-section.Y At the lower opening of thehopper afiszprovided a slide plate 24 with an ear 26fat1-its front edgewhereby it can be pulled out so. as to allowth'e dry ingredients to drop out of the hopper S'andinto the sifter 9. 'I'he hopper also preferablyincludes an auxiliary chute 21'fon'one1sidethereof :which rleads to the second stage of themultiple sifter 9.= rThis chute 2'! is utilized only when itis necessary that certain dry ingredients, such as baking powder, be introduced into the flour ,onlyiafterfthe flour was vsiftecl once, or in'casewhereonlycpart of the flour contained in the hopperfis utilized at yone time.

Themultipleesifter 9 includes side and rear casingaWalls 28, the topnof which is adapted to slidably,support'thejslide plate 24ky Spaced below the; slide; platee, s suitably mounted ,theiuppew l at the bottom of the cup I.

most or first stage sifter screen 29. The lower edges of the sides 28 are so grooved as to slidably interlock with the top edges of the sides 3| of a detachable frame in which latter are suitably mounted the second and third sifting scr-eens 32 and 33 one below the other. The lower ends of the walls 3| of this lower section are tapered inwardly toward the outlet opening 34. It is to be noted that the front Wall 36 of this lower section extends above the lower section so as to cover the open front of the upper sifter section. Structure of the type herein described facilitates assembly and also if so desired permits the use of any selected number of stages of sifting screens by merely changing the lower section of the multiple sifter unit 9, The Walls 3| of the lower section are locked to the Walls 28 by any suitable means such as by use of a dowel pin 3T which is extended through alined holes in the respective walls 28 and 3|. To facilitate the handling of this dowel pin 31 it is supported on a suitable coil spring 38 which latter is secured to the outside of the respective side 28,

The outlet opening 35 of the chute 2T is through the adjacent wall 28 of the sifter unit 9, and it is located between the levels of the upper screen 29 and the second screen 32. A suitable agitator 39 rests on the top of the screen 29 and is movable back and forth on said screen, by means of a handle rod 4|, which latter extends through an aperture 42 in the front wall 36. The rod 4| terminates in a button 43 to facilitate the manipulation of the agitator 39. A similar agitator 44 is provided on each of the lower screens 32 and 33. A rod 46 extends from each agitator 44 slidably through apertures 41 in the front wall 36. The rods 46 are fastened to a suitable handle 48. It is to be noted that the handle 48 has an upwardly extended apertured ear 49, and the upper rod 4| extends through said ear 49 so that the rod 4| may be moved either independently of the handle 48, or the button 43 may be gripped to the handle 48 and then all agitators can be manipulated as a unit.

The measuring cup Il is of a unique structure so as to allow a separate sifting operation directly from the cup if so desired. The bottom of the cup l I is open, but it has inwardly extending bottom iianges At two adjacent sides the cup is provided with slots 52 above the respective flanges 5|. A bottom plate 53 is inserted through the slots 52 so as to normally form a solid closure The plate 53 is pivotally held on a vertical pivot 54 at a corner at one end of one of the slots 52 so that the plate 53 can be moved into and out of closing position around said pivot 54 and through said slots 52 in a horizontal plane. A suitable ear or handle 56 facilitates the manipulation of the plate 53. A sifting screen 51 is secured on said flanges 5| below the plate 53 so that the plate 53 acts as an agitator when moved back and forth around its pivot 54 thereby directly sifting flour or the like through the bottom of the measuring cup Il.

The entire unit herein described is a closed box of about the size of the usual containers on a kitchen shelf. In order to prepare and mix the dry ingredients for pastry or the like, the recipe plate l2 is pulled out and held in sight by the rear wall I3 of the box Then the door is opened and the flour and other dry ingredients are measured by the cup |I and by the spoons 23 and are dumped into the hopper 8. Then any suitable vessel such as a usual bowl is placed on the tray I9. Then the slide plate 24 is pulled forward and the sifter agitators are moved forward and backward by means of the handle 48 and button 43. As the dry ingredients are thus worked through the screens 29, 32, and 33, they are sifted as many times as the number of screens in the sifter 9.

In the event the our is to be sifted by itself once before mixing with the other dry ingredients, then the our is placed in the hopper 8, but the other dry ingredients, such as sugar, baking powder and the like, are placed separately in the chute 2l, and introduced only at the second screen 32. Any suitable means suchv as butterfly plate 58 may be used to control the iiow from the chute 21. The upper agitator 39 may be used separately from and then together with the lower agitators 44 so as to accomplish the proper mixing of all the ingredients.

The sifter unit 9 can be readily cleaned by removing the dowel pin 3l and then the lower section can be pulled out and cleaned, and, if necessary replaced by a similar lower unit with different number of screens therein.

The agitators 39 and 44 are resiliently held against the upper faces of the respective screens 29, 32 and 33 by reason of the outward and upward incline or slant of the respective guide holes 42 and 47|, and the slight resiliency of the respective handle bars or rods 4| and 46. As the rods 4| and 46 are pushed inwardly over the respective screens the above inclined guide holes hold the same down onto the respective screens.

The device herein described may be nished in any attractive color to be in harmony with the usual sets of similar household fixtures. It may be set on a working table or board, or it may be hung on a nail, or the like, on a wall by means of a suitable loop or hook that may be formed on the outside of the rear wall I3. The device is of a unitary character, it does not require any adjustments, and it can be operated easily by any unskilled person.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a multiple sifter comprising a frame, a plurality of sifter elements arranged in the frame in spaced series one above the other, an agitator for each sifter element, means for manipulating the said agitators on the respective sifter elements, a hopper to conduct a substance to be sifted onto the uppermost sifter element, and a chute means to introduce other substances onto one of the lower sifter elements of the series, and means to control the introduction of the substances from the said chute means onto the said lower sifter element.

2. In a device of the character described, comprising a frame open at its top and bottom, a plurality of sifter elements arranged in the frame in spaced series one above the other, an agitator for each sifter element, selective means for manipulating either one or al1 of the said agitators, the said selective means comprising a rod member extending from the uppermost agitator and having a button secured on its outer end, rod members extending from the other of said agitators and the outer ends of the said rods of the other agitators being secured to a handle member, and the rod of the uppermost agitator extending through an aperture in the upper portion of the said handle member, and means to conduct substances tc be sifted onto the uppermost sifter element.

LILLIAN J. SPENCER. 

